Exercise garment

ABSTRACT

An exercise garment, in a first embodiment, includes a pair of exercise pants having attachment means on the leg portions of the garment for temporarily attaching an elastic wrap thereto, so that the wrap may be removed from the temporary attachment means and wound around a body part, such as an arm, leg or torso during a workout, and which may then be unwound from the body part and re-attached to the attachment means on the legs. Another embodiment includes a pair of exercise pants having a pocket with a zipper or other closing means, wherein one end of the wrap is stitched or otherwise permanently attached inside the pocket, so that the wrap may be extended from the pocket and wrapped around a leg for a workout, and stored inside the securely closed pocket when not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to exercise garments. More specifically, the present invention includes exercise garments that include attachable and/or built-in stretchable wraps that are used to wrap around a user's body parts, such as arms, legs, torso, and the like while exercising.

Many different types of workout and exercise garments are commercially available today. They range from yoga pants to sports bras, to compression garments, and such garments often include elastic materials that fit tightly around the body. Some garments have been developed to employ elastic sections or bands to increase resistance, in order to place an additional load on muscles during workouts and physical activity. More recently, athletes and bodybuilders have begun using elastic wraps, which are tightly wrapped around various body parts during workouts to increase joint support, restrict blood flow, and in some cases, to increase core temperatures. Various types of wraps are available for different purposes, but the popularity of wraps in the fitness community is rapidly increasing.

The following references show different types of exercise garments that have been developed over the years, and each of these documents are hereby incorporated by reference herein, in their entireties:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,814 One Piece Elastic Body Suit

A one piece elastic body suit worn by a person to coordinate and tone the body includes an outer and an inner layer joined together, wherein each layer has a shirt and trouser section. A plurality of elastic band members are disposed between the inner and outer layers of the suit.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,802 Exercise Suit

An exercise suit apparatus is set forth wherein a suit of unitary construction is presented to envelop a human figure from the neck to the feet. The suit includes a plurality of elastic bands associated with each human appendage positioned on opposed sides of the arm portions of the suit and overlying a forward, side and back portion of each leg portion of the suit with a medially positioned elastic band securing the user's waist with an additional band about the user's chest. A zipper is positioned vertically onto a rearward surface of the suit for enabling entry of the suit by an individual. The various bands are positioned within enclosed conduits with the conduits for each band including a spaced region for enabling an adjustment buckle to adjust tension for each band.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,546 Exercise Suit with Resilient Reinforcing

An exercise suit which has a pair of stretchable pants (20) and a pull-over top (44) with a lower body reinforcing segment (38) attached, in the middle only, to the pants and a upper body reinforcing collar (54) attached, in the middle only, to the top. A leg band (42) encircle the legs (24) and the side bands (58) are affixed to the respective reinforcing collar. The leg bands (42) grip the wearer's feet creating a continuous loop from the waist to the feet. Hook and loop tape (40) allow the reinforcing segment (38) to be adjusted in tension around the wearer's waist and similarly adjusted knee pads (32) cover the knees in the pants legs (24). The resilience of the suit combined with the looped bands create a resistance to movement providing exercise to the wearer's muscles during physical activity.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,637 Exercise Pants and Exercise Band Assembly

The invention is to a elastic band attachable above the knees of the wearer to the sides of pants being worn. The elastic band has attachment devices secured to the elastic band which are fastened to attachment devices on the pants. As the wearer walks or cycles, the elastic band helps tone the leg muscles and provide a form of aerobic exercise.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,917 Energy Expenditure Garment

An aerobic resistance garment for indoor use or warm weather use, includes a shorts section which has elongated resistance elements and which includes shoulder anchoring structure extending upwardly from the waist area of the shorts section for fitting over the user's shoulders. The legs of the shorts terminate above the calves of the user.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,947 Energy Expenditure/Training Garment

An energy expenditure garment includes various elastic resistance elements located on the garment so as to help in the training of a user while participating in a swinging sport, such as golf or racquet sports. The garment could also include a biofeedback sensor to indicate when a proper swing has or has not been performed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,267 Articles of Apparel Providing Enhanced Body Position Feedback

Articles of apparel include: (a) a garment structure having one or more fabric elements structured and arranged to provide a close fit to at least one predetermined portion of a body (e.g., area(s) of the body for which enhanced position sensing and/or feedback are desired, such as the lower back, the arch of the foot, etc.); and (b) a body position feedback system engaged with or integrally formed as part of the garment structure. The body position feedback system may apply higher tensile or constricting (compressive) forces to selected portions of the wearer's body, which can help stimulate or interact with nerves and deep tissue receptors located in various portions of the body. The increased forces at selected locations of the body give the wearer sensory feedback regarding the position or orientation of these parts of the body and can improve or accelerate development of “muscle memory.”

U.S. Pat. No. 9,795,171 Adjustable Elastic Profile Compression Garment

A compression garment, having: (a) a first portion that wraps at least partially around a body part to provide compression to the body part; and (b) a second portion that wraps at least partially around a body part; wherein the second portion is wrapped onto the first portion or is attached to the first portion such that the attachment of the second portion onto the first portion changes the elastic profile of the garment from a first elastic profile to a second elastic profile; and wherein the dimensions of the first and second portions are selected such that the relative amount of the circumference of the body part that is covered by each of the first and second portions of the garment results in a garment applying a pre-determined range of compression level fluctuation to the body part during wear.

U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/104,920 Pants or Skirt with Integral Exercise Bands

The pants or skirt with integral exercise bands is adapted for use in exercise. The pants or skirt with integral exercise bands comprises a garment and a pelvic girdle. The pelvic girdle is attaches to the garment. The pants or skirt with integral exercise bands is a pelvic girdle adapted for use in a garment selected from the group consisting of a pair of pants or a skirt. The pelvic girdle is an elastic fabric that is formed in the shape of a tube. The pelvic girdle is positioned within the garment such that when the garment is worn normally, the normal locomotive motions of the wearer are resisted by the pelvic girdle therein enhancing the exercise benefit generally provided by the normal locomotive motion. Normal locomotive motions include, but are not limited to, walking forward, walking backward, stepping sideways, bending over, and stooping.

U.S. Publication No. US20050113729 Compression Garments and Related Methods

A compression garment for compressing a portion of a body of a patient includes a tubular body. The body includes an outer layer and an inner layer secured to the outer layer. The inner layer at least partially bounds a channel adapted to receive a portion of a body of a patient. The inner layer includes a backing having a plurality of pressure projections extending therefrom. A layer of compressible cushioning material is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. Compression straps are disposed on the body for selectively constricting the body.

U.S. Publication No. US20100037369 Muscle Support Garment and Method

A muscle support garment and method for applying compressive forces to muscles within a treatment area are disclosed. A band of stretchable wrap material is secured to the garment and is wound in an overlapping spiral manner on the inside of the garment, encircling the treatment area. The band of wrap material is longitudinally adjustable to vary its tension and the compressive forces applied, from external of the garment. Overlapping loop retainer structures secured inside the garment slidably entrain and retain the wrap material in an overlapping manner. The garment may include an inner liner.

U.S. Publication No. US20110009793 Garment with Adjustable Compression

An adjustable compression garment comprises a first fabric portion that is moveable relative to a second fabric portion. At least the first fabric portion is comprised of a stretchable material that provides a degree of compression to a human body. A fastening arrangement includes a first fastener device connected to the first fabric portion and a second fastening device connected to the second fabric portion. The fastening device provides an adjustable connection between first fabric portion and the second fabric portion. The fastening device is configured such that the degree of compression provided by the first fabric portion may be increased without disconnecting the first fastener device from the second fastener device.

U.S. Publication No. US20170100300 Advanced Compression Garments and Systems

Advanced compression garments and their methods of use, including garments with compression applying straps, and associated sensors that are able to sense the compression applied to an underlying body tissue by the straps. Pressure and/or temperature information from the sensors may be conveyed to a wearer of the garment and/or to another party.

Unfortunately, many exercise garments, because of their tight-fitting nature, do not include pockets that may be used to store and transport wraps when they are not in use. When these garments are used together with wraps, the wraps are often wrapped around the outside of the garments while in use, but because the garments typically do not have pockets, a user has no place to put the wraps while they are not in use.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a garment that included attachment means, either removable or permanent, for wraps, so that a user does not have to keep track of the wraps at the gym or during a workout while the wraps are not in use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a first embodiment of an exercise garment includes a pair of workout pants having attachment means, such as a strip of hook and loop fastener material, snaps, or the like, affixed to the outer portion of the legs, and further includes a wrap having complementary attachment means for removably securing the wrap to the attachment means positioned on the side of the legs.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of workout pants and a wrap, wherein one end of the wrap is permanently attached to the side of the leg portion, such as by means of sewing or stitching the wrap to the leg portion.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the attachment means may be attached inside a pocket or flap, so that one end of the wrap is attached to the pants within the pocket or flap. In this arrangement, the pocket or flap preferably has closing means, such as a zipper, snaps or the like, and the wrap may be rolled up and stored in the pocket when not in use.

Additionally, it other embodiments may include a shirt or top having attachment means for a wrap in a similar manner as described herein. It should be understood that the wraps may be attached to a single arm or leg, or to both arms and/or both legs, and the attachment means may be temporary so that the wrap is removable from the garment, or the wrap may be permanently affixed to the garment by other means, such as stitching or sewing. Further, the wraps may be attached to a full-body workout garment, if desired.

The wraps may also include hook and loop fastening strips or material that is used to keep the wrap tightly bound to the user, so that a user may pull the wrap tightly around a body part, such as a leg or arm, and then use the hook and loop fastening material to attach the free end of the wrap to itself, in order to prevent the wrap from unraveling from the arm or leg. Other attachment means may be used, as well, including snaps, clips, fasteners or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a pair of compression pants having a wrap attached to an outer portion of each leg portion;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a pair of compression pants having a pocket positioned on each leg, and further, having a wrap attached to each leg within each pocket so that the wraps may be stored in the pockets when not in use, and so that the wrap may extend from each pocket and wrap around that respective leg;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a pair of compression pants having a pocket positioned on each leg, wherein each pocket includes a zipper for securing the pocket in an open or closed position, and having a wrap attached to each leg within each pocket so that the wraps may be stored in the pockets when not in use, and so that the wrap may extend from each pocket and wrap around that respective leg;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a pair of compression pants having a series of snaps attached to the compression pants, and further including a pair of wraps that may be attached to the snaps;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a pair of compression pants having strips of hook and loop material attached to each leg, and further including wraps removably attached to the strips of hook and loop material positioned on each leg portion;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a pair of compression pants having a wrap attached to an outer portion of each leg portion, wherein the wraps are securely wrapped around each leg; and

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, showing a pair of loose sweat pants having a wrap attached to an outer portion of each leg portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A first embodiment of an exercise garment in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the exercise garment is a pair of compression pants 10 preferably having a strip of hook and loop fastening material 12 disposed on an outer portion of each leg 14, as shown. A wrap 16, which usually takes the form of a long strip of elastic material (similar to the commonly used ACE bandages), includes at least one complementary strip of hook and loop material 12, so that the wrap 16 may be removably affixed to the hook and loop material 12 that is disposed on the side of the pants 10.

In use, the wrap 16 may be removably attached to the pants 10, preferably one wrap 16 attached to each leg 14, and the wraps 16 may be removed from the attachment means and wrapped around any desired body part during exercise. When the workout session is concluded, the wraps 16 may be unwrapped from the body, and then affixed back to the legs 14 at the attachment points affixed thereto. Other attachment means may be used for removably attaching the wraps 16 to the legs, such as snaps 18 or other types of fasteners, as shown in FIG. 4, for instance.

In another embodiment, the wraps 16 may be permanently attached to the legs 14 by means of sewing or stitching, rivets, or the like, as shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the free end of the wrap 16 is wrapped around the leg and then attached to itself via hook and loop fastening means 12 or snaps 20, for example. This arrangement provides for the wrap to be attached in the location of the body where the wrap is intended to be used, so it may be stitched to the upper leg, as shown in FIG. 6, or to another position on the leg, such as the knee, or the lower leg for wrapping the calf muscles, or even the ankle. It is contemplated that snaps 18 or hook and loop fastening material 12 may be used to removably attach the free end of the wrap 16 to the pants 10, as well, or to attach some other portion of the wrap 16 to the pants 10, in order to keep the wrap 16 from dragging along on the floor when it is not wrapped around the leg 14 or ankle.

Yet another embodiment of the exercise garment is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the pair of workout pants 10 includes a side pocket for storing the wrap 16 when not in use. Preferably, one end of the wrap 16 is stitched or otherwise permanently affixed to the pants 10 inside the pocket 20, and the other end is free. Preferably, the pocket 20 includes closing means, such as a zipper 22, one or more snaps, or other fastening means for keeping the pocket 20 closed when the wrap 16 is stored therein. When this embodiment is in use, the pocket 20 may be opened by unzipping or unsnapping the zipper 22, and the wrap 16 may be extended outwardly from the pocket 20 and wrapped around the leg 14. The wrap 16 is preferably wrapped tight around the leg 14, with one end secured within the pocket 20 and the other end attached to itself via hook and loop fastening material 12, snaps, or some other attachment means. After the workout, or whenever the wrap 16 is not in use, it may be rolled up and/or stuffed into the pocket 20, and the zipper 22 may be closed to prevent the wrap 16 from coming out of the side pocket 20.

It should be understood that the pocket 20 may be positioned in any desired location on the pants 10, and that multiple pockets 20 and wraps 12 may be positioned in various places around the pants 10, as desired. Any type of pants 10 may be used for any of the embodiments discussed herein, including tight pants such as compression pants, or looser fitting pants like sweat pants, as shown in FIG. 7. Additionally, it is contemplated that the wrap 15 may also be temporarily attached to the inside of the pockets 20 by snaps, fasteners, hook and loop materials, or the like.

Many types of wraps 16 are commercially available, and any suitable type of wrap 16 may be used. Wraps 16 are generally made from tough, elastic material, such as neoprene, Lycra®, Spandex® or the like. The wraps may also be attached to other types of garments, such as shirts or tops, full body workout garments, or the like. As used on shirts or tops, the attachment means may be placed on the arms or torso, either temporarily or permanently, as set forth herein, and may include the pockets or flaps for storing the wraps when not in use.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. All features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise garment comprising: a pair of pants having two leg portions; hook and loop fastening material attached to at least one of said leg portions; a first wrap having a first end and a second end, and further including hook and loop fastening material attached thereto for temporarily attaching said wrap to said hook and loop fastening material attached to said leg portion.
 2. The exercise garment set forth in claim 1, wherein both of said leg portions have said hook and loop fastening material attached thereto.
 3. The exercise garment set forth in claim 1, further including a second wrap having said hook and loop fastening material attached thereto, wherein said first wrap is temporarily attached to one leg portion and said second wrap is attached to the other leg portion.
 4. An exercise garment comprising: a pair of pants having two leg portions; a wrap made of elastic material, said wrap having a first end and a second end; wherein said first end of said wrap is attached to one of said leg portions, and said second end of said wrap remains free for winding said wrap around said one of said leg portions.
 5. The exercise garment set forth in claim 4, further including attachment means for securing said second end of said wrap to itself when said wrap has been wound around said one of said leg portions.
 6. The exercise garment of claim 5, wherein said attachment means is selected from the group consisting of hook and loop fastening material, snaps, fasteners and clips.
 7. The exercise garment of claim 4, wherein said first end of said wrap is attached to an inner portion of a pocket disposed on said one of said leg portions, so that said wrap may be stored in said pocket when said wrap is not in use.
 8. The exercise garment of claim 7, wherein said pocket includes closing means for securing said wrap in said pocket when said wrap is not in use.
 9. The exercise garment of claim 8, wherein said closing means are selected from the group consisting of hook and loop fastening material, snaps, fasteners and zippers.
 10. An exercise garment comprising: a pair of pants having two leg portions; at least one of said leg portions having temporary attachment means disposed thereon; a first wrap having a first end and a second end, and further including complementary attachment means for temporarily attaching said wrap to said attachment means on said leg portion.
 11. The garment set forth in claim 10, wherein said temporary attachment means disposed on said first wrap and said leg portion of said pants is selected from the group consisting of hook and loop fasteners, snaps and clips.
 12. The exercise garment set forth in claim 10, wherein both of said leg portions include said temporary attachment means.
 13. The exercise garment set forth in claim 12, further including a second wrap having said temporary attachment means, wherein said first wrap is temporarily attached to one leg portion and said second wrap is attached to the other leg portion. 